In the arcade game life of Ms. Pac Man, her mission is to traverse random mazes lined with pellets and power-pellets, frantically accumulating as many as she can. In my life, the paths I travel are lined with material possessions and personal fulfillment and, just like Ms. Pac Man, I frantically try to accumulate as much as I can.
On her arcade journey, Ms. Pac-Man aims to devour as much fruit as possible. When she discovers a treasure such as an apple or cherry her point total increases. When I discover a fruit of God's Spirit such as gentleness or joy, my unity with Christ is strengthened.
Ms. Pac-Man and I also share a very similar struggle in life. We are constantly on the run from a mysterious nemesis. On every screen and stage of Ms. Pac Man's arcade life, ghosts come out of their contained box to seek and destroy her quest for advancement. As she outruns them, advancing to the next level, the ghosts pick up speed. With eyes bugging out of their brightly colored bodies, the ghosts pursue Ms. Pac-Man with relentless passion, threatening to end her pellet and fruit eating days.
And so it is in the maze of my life.
My enemy chases me at every level, pursuing me with frustration and fear. On every screen I frantically attempt to outrun my ghosts of sickness and pain while eating the pellet's of God's goodness along the way.The moment I think I've conquered my enemy, eaten all the good fruit ther e is to be had and consumed every possible pellet, the screen shifts and opens to a new maze filled with new obstacles. At every level my enemy changes tactics and picks up speed, taunting me with ultimate defeat, threatening to once and for all end my days of eating luscious fruit.
So many of the similarities between Ms. Pac Man and I are downright troubling and discouraging. Both of us are doomed to a fate of never-ending running from an inescapable enemy. But the good news is that Ms. Pac Man and I share a similar blessing along our maze's path - the blessing of "power pellets."
Power pellets are miraculous energizers along Ms. Pac-Man's computerized path. When consumed the pellets transform her ghostly nemesis into blue fuel, adding points to her score and power to her position in the game. When Ms. Pac-Man has a power pellet she dominates and every ghost flees from her presence.
And so it is in the maze of my life.
At every level God has the power pellets of Christ's overcoming life along my path. When I eat of His mighty victory I become invincible in His Spirit. Filled with God's holiness every one of my ghostly enemies is sent running away in fear. Not a single foe stands a chance when the Lord, my soul's energizer, is infusing me with the conquering power and strength of Heaven.
Playing Ms. Pac-Man I never made it to a very high level. The ghosts always did me in. But as I run with God through His maze of life, I have the confidence of His promises and eternal assurance that the ghosts will never win. Because of Jesus Christ, not a single ghost on earth can keep me from His final level. By the power of His indwelling Spirit and the victory of His salvation, I know how this game of Ms. Pac-Man ends: with a crown in Heaven and my name in the King's eternal record book.
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